An emotional Jonathan Majors broke down in tears as he accepted the award on Friday, six months after he was convicted of assaulting his ex-girlfriend.
According to a video shared on X by Hollywood Reporter reporter Chris Gardner, the 34-year-old former Marvel star was seen wiping away tears as he took to the stage to accept the Perseverance Award at the Hollywood Unlocked Impact Awards.
“People will want to know what the last year has been like,” he said. “As a Black person in the criminal justice system, I have felt anger, sadness, hurt and surprise.”
Majors added that when he was first arrested last year he felt like “a bit of a scared, vulnerable boy” and, despite the “evidence in my favour”, he knew the situation was “bad” because of “who I was and who I am”.
“This happens too often to black people,” he said. “Guilt or innocence often has little to do with the outcome. That's the harsh reality I've learned.”
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The “Creed III” actor was arrested in New York in March 2023 and accused of assaulting his girlfriend, Grace Jabari, in the backseat of his car. In December, he was convicted of misdemeanor assault and harassment but acquitted of intentional assault and aggravated harassment. Majors had pleaded not guilty.
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Following his conviction, Marvel confirmed that Majors had been removed from his role as supervillain Khan the Conqueror, a role he was expected to reprise in the studio's upcoming “Avengers.” Majors was sentenced to 52 weeks in a domestic violence intervention program but avoided prison time.
In April, a judge denied Majors' motion to have his conviction thrown out. His lawyer, Priya Choudhury, told USA Today at the time that she was “disappointed with the outcome of the motion” but “respectful of the court process.”
Hollywood Unlocked described the Perseverance Award as an honor given to someone who “demonstrates that they continue to strive to inspire others, no matter the odds.”
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In his speech, Majors said he had to “embodied” the word perseverance “more than I ever wanted to,” and that he realized that black men are “held up as either superheroes or supervillains” but that he is neither.
“I'm imperfect,” he said. “I have flaws, and I acknowledge them.”
Jonathan Majors thanks Meagan Good in acceptance speech: 'I love you'
Majors posed with his girlfriend Meagan Good on the red carpet at the awards, and during his onstage speech he thanked “the women in my life,” including Good.
“I love you beyond measure, with all my heart, with all my might,” a tearful Majors told Good. “You really, really, really carried me through so many nights.”
The “Lovecraft Country” star also thanked his mother, recalling her standing behind him as the guilty verdict was read and saying, “It's going to be OK, son.”
Shortly before the ceremony, Variety and Deadline reported that Majors would be making his first film appearance since his assault conviction, a revenge thriller directed by Martin Villeneuve, brother of director Denis Villeneuve.
Contributor: Kimi Robinson
